Packaged dry bleach and disinfecting compositions



M. L. DICKEY Oct. 30, 1962 PACKAGED DRY BLEACH AND DISINFECTING COMPOSITIONS Filed Nov. 14, 1955 MYPO/V LJ. D/CKEY IN VEN TOR. BY /%4 United tates 3,061,549 PACKAGED DRY BLEACH AND DISINFECTING COMPOSITIONS Myron L. Dickey, Whittier, Califl, assignor to Purex Corporation Ltd., South Gate, Califi, a corporation of Qaliornra Filed Nov. 14, 1955, Ser. No. 546,552 2 Claims. (Cl. 25290) This invention has to do generally with packaged dry bleach and disinfecting compositions employing dichlorocyanuric acid (known also as dichloroisocyanuric acid and dichloroiminocyanuric acid) or trichlorocyanuric acid (trichloroisocyanuric acid or trichloroiminocyanuric acid) as sources of available chlorine upon dissolution of the acid in water. More particularly the invention relates to the stabilization of such packaged compositions in the respect of overcoming the eifects of volatile compounds resulting from partial decomposition of the dichlorocyanuric acid or trichlorocyanuric acid, and which themselves are highly noxious, lachrymatory, irritating, and destructive to a great variety of common packaging materials.

It has been determined that commercial dichlorocya nuric acid or trichlorocyanuric acid, and mixtures of either acid with water soluble alkaline salts such as sodium sulfate or alkali metal and ammonium phosphates are unstable in that under ordinary atmospheric and such other conditions as packaged compositions of dichlorocyanuric acid or trichlorocyanuric acid, or of these salts and the acid, normally would be subjected, the cyanuric acid undergoes partial decomposition, which appears to be catalyzed or otherwise accelerated by the salt component, with resultant evolution of highly noxious and otherwise objectionable chloramine volatiles such as NH Cl and N01 And it is found that the odor condition is sufiiciently great to preclude consumer acceptance of packaged bleaches so compounded. It may be observed that from a standpoint of quantitative stability, many dichlorocyanuric or trichlorocyanuric acid-salt compositions may not lose chlorine in any reasonably short period of time to a degree of serious deficiency insofar as sustained bleaching power is concerned, but nevertheless the acid will display suificient instability to give off these lachryrnatory volatiles in concentrations that may be small but yet enough to cause rejection of the product.

I have discovered in accordance with the invention that different materials and compounds are capable of converting the noxious volatiles evolved from the acid, to compounds which have no objectionable odors. Interestingly, I have found that any of a considerable number of such compounds or materials will in effect function as efficient deodorants in relatively small quantities (e.g., from about 1% to 30% by weight of the admixed acid and water soluble inorganic salt components) when exposed to, while maintained unmixed with, the acid-salt mixture, but that some of such materials or compounds will create or increase odor emanation from the mixture if intimately or uniformly admixed therewith. Accordingly, the present invention is predicated upon the concepts of utilizing a selected compound or material for deodorizing an otherwise objectionably odorous packaged dichlorocyanuric or trichlorocyanuric acid-water soluble salt mixture, and of maintaining the deodorant in the package unmixed with the acid-salt mixture but exposed thereto, and in a condition that will permit use of any of a large number of deodorants, or mixtures thereof, including some materials or compounds that otherwise would create odor if admixed with the acid-salt mixture.

As to the bleach and disinfectant compositions herein contemplated, dichlorocyanuric acid or trichlorocyanuric acid may be present in weight percentages ranging as high 3,061,549 Fatented Oct. 30, 1962 as 99% for high chlorine potency to as low as 1% when only a mild disinfectant is required. In this connection it may be mentioned that almost 100% dichlorocyanuric or trichlorocyanuric acid compositions may give ofi these objectionable odors.

Water soluble inorganic salts and mixtures thereof suitable for compounding with the dichlorocyanuric or trichlorocyanuric acid, include in weight percentages ranging, e.g., from to 10%, alkali metal phosphates such as tripolyphosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, orthophosphates, and hexameta phosphates, as well as such builders as sodium sulfate and sodium chloride.

For some purposes it may be desirable to compound with the acid-salt mixture, other additives such as small percentages of detergent, e.g., soap or lauryl sulfate or alkyl aryl sulfonate synthetics, and appropriate dyes or fluorescent compounds.

The odor eliminating material hereinafter referred to as the deodorant may consist of any of the following, or mixtures thereof: mixtures of manganese dioxide and cupric oxide (hopcalite), activated alumina, activated carbon, zeolites, fullers earth, bentonite, activated montmorillonite, silver phosphate, silver nitrate, mercuric ni trate, alkali metal silicates (e.g. Metso, anhydrous- Na O:SiO =1:l), alkali metal hydroxides, potassium, rubidium or cesium carbonates, and alkaline earth oxides.

In its physical aspects the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the typical and illustrative embodiments shown by the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a package containing the dry bleach or disinfectant together with an odor stabilizing material contained in a bag;

FIG. 2 illustrates a variational embodiment in which the odor stabilizing material is contained in a separate compartment of the package, and

FIG. 3 illustrates another form in which the deodorant is carried in a coating applied to an inside surface of the package.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the package generally indicated at 10 is shown to consist typically of a glass or paper board container 11 having top and bottom closures 1.2 and i3, and which may be adapted for opening in any suitable manner or by any suitable means, not shown, to dispense the package content 14 consisting essentially of dichlorocyanuric or trichlorocyanuric acid which may be admixed with any appropriate water soluble salt or mixture thereof, such as alkali metal phosphate and sulphates.

Conversion of nomous volatiles given off by the cyanuric acid to compounds having no objectionable odor is eifected according to the showing of FIG. 1 by inserting within the container a porous fabric bag 15 which may contain any of the deodorants listed hereinabove. By reason of the porosity of the bag, the deodorant is exposed to the package contents 14, but remains unmixed therewith.

In FIG. 2, the deodorant 16 is shown to be accommodated within the perforated top compartment 17 in the container 1%. Here the substance 16 remains exposed to the contents l9 and is contacted by an emanated volatiles, while remaining out of direct contact with the acidsalt mixture.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 3 contemplates applying to the inside of a paper board package 20 containing the acid mixture 21 a coating 22 within which is incorporated any one or mixtures of the deodorant substances. Typically the coating 22 may consist of sodium silicate or any of the other deodorant substances admixed with an alkali metal silicate as a binder.

Alternately, or in addition, the deodorant substance may be incorporated in the paper board itself, as by free 3 putting the deodorant into the pulp from which the paper board is made.

As typical of further specific embodiments of the invention, the following examples are given:

Example I Example II 20 gms. of activated carbon (Norbit 20 x 60 mesh), were placed in a tea-bag (permeable paper construction) and suspended in the atmosphere of a glass container filled with commercial dichlorocyanuric acid. The characteristic odor disappeared after a few hours and did not reappear even after a period of many months.

Example III About grams of a spray-dried base containing substantially sodium silicate and 85% sodium sulfate was first poured into a 12 ounce glass bottle, which was then filled with an unstabilized dichlorocyanuric acid formulation. The odor had disappeared after a few hours, and the product remained free from odor. The dichlorocyanuric acid with exposed to but remained unmixed with the spray-dried base.

Example IV About 300 grams of a bleaching composition consisting substantially of 15% sodium tn'polyphosphate, 74% sodium sulfate, 8% dichlorocyanuric acid, and 3% sodium alkyl aryl sulfonate, which evolved a strong, lachrymatory odor, was placed in an ordinary chipboard folding carton (commonly used for spray dried detergent and soap products) which carton had been coated on its inner walls with sodium metasilicate. After a few hours of standing, the odorous nature of the product had disappeared and did not reappear on further standing.

In each of the foregoing examples, trichlorocyanuric acid may be substituted for the same amounts of dichlorocyanuric acid, with essentialy the same results.

"I claim:

1. A package containing a solid bleach material comprising a mixture of an inorganic water soluble salt and a particulate acid of the group consisting of dichlorocyanuric acid and trichlorocyanuric acid, said acid by reason of its nitrogen and chlorine tending to evolve malodorous chloramine compounds, said package also containing a solid deodorant unmixed with said chlorinated cynauric acid which deodorant reacts with evolved chloramine compounds to produce other compounds of unobjectionable odor, said deodorant being an alkali metal silicate distributed on the inside of the container wall in exposure to said mixture.

2. A package according to claim 1, in which the package has a paper board wall on which said silicate is distributed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,042,801 Kitsee Oct. 29, 1912 1,425,790 Moyer Aug. 15, 1922 1,561,650 Lashar Nov. 17, 1925 1,738,543 Travers Dec. 10, 1929 1,942,900 Peters Jan. 9, 1934 2,156,357 Simpson May 2, 1939 2,196,021 Merrill Apr. 2, 1940 2,357,767 Robbins Sept. 5, 1944 2,458,695 Edelston Jan. 11, 1949 2,607,738 Hardy Aug. 19, 1952 2,674,509 Barnet Apr. 6, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,062 Canada Dec. 10, 1957 

1. A PACKAGE CONTAINING A SOLID BLEACH MATERIAL COMPRISING A MIXTURE OF AN INORGANIC WATER SOLUBLE SALT AND A PARTICUALATE ACID OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF DICHLOROCYANURIC ACID AND TRICHLOROCYANURIC ACID, SAID ACID BY REASON OF ITS NITROGEN AND CHLORINE TENDING TO EVOLVE MALODOROUS CHLORAMINE COMPOUNDS, SAID PACKAGE ALSO CONTAINING A SOLID DEODORANT UNMIXED WITH SAID CHLORINATED CYNAURIC ACID WHICH DEODORANT REACTS WITH EVOLVED CHLORAMINE COMPOUNDS TO PRODUCE OTHER COMPOUNDS OF UNOBJECTIONABLE ODOR, SAID DEODORANT BEING AN ALKALI METAL SILICATE DISTRIBUTED ON THE INSIDE OF THE CONTAINER WALL IN EXPOSURE TO SAID MIXTURE. 